Page 46 of Out on a Limb
“Honestly?” Andrew leaned back in the chair next to mine. “I thought you were planning to burn it down.”
I decided not to tell him that was always Sylvia’s plan A, shot down for one reason and one reason only. “Arson is illegal.”
“But dropping a flock of chickens into a trailer isn’t?” He went in for another bite.
“If it is then I would have called the cops this morning.” Which in hindsight I probably should have done.
But I was hesitant to report anything after what happened when I made the noise complaint.
“Let’s hope they feel the same way.” Andrew pointed to the pan. “It only counts as eating if some of that actually makes it into your stomach.”
I shoved in the bite I’d been spinning, lifting my brows at him as I chewed.
And of course it was amazing.
“Where’d you learn to cook?” I took another bite.
“In the kitchen.” Andrew went to the fridge, pulling out two bottles of water. “Where’d you learn to cook?”
“I took classes at the Southern Florida Culinary Institute after I graduated college.”
“Fancy.”
I lifted one shoulder. “It was a compromise.”
“With who?”
“My granddad. He thought I should go to culinary school and learn to cook.” I stabbed at a piece of chicken.
“You didn’t want to go to culinary school?”
“No.” I drank down a little of the water he brought over. “I wanted to major in business.”
“Those are two pretty different occupations.”
I poked at the food. “My granddad has some pretty archaic ideas about what women should do.”
“That sounds like him.” Andrew went to the island and started putting things back where they belonged. “Is that why you’re still managing the gift shop instead of taking over the whole place?”
“I don’t know that I’m cut out to run the garden.” Tonight was probably a good indication I wasn’t.
Andrew stopped and stared at me.
I shifted under his gaze. “What?”
He huffed out a little breath of air that might have almost been a laugh. “Collette, you already run the garden.”
Chapter Ten
Andrew
I WOULDN’T CALL this stalking.
Technically.
It was more like looking out for someone I was sure wouldn’t look out for themselves.
She’d proved that once already tonight.
